每次部署到生产是否都必须删除节点模块并运行 npm install？

Question

I use vuetify (vue)

Is it mandatory for each deployment to production for remove node modules and run npm install ? Or just run npm run build ?

I have two option :

1. Option 1 : Every deployment, I run the npm run build directly

2. Option 2 :

   • Delete the contents of dist folder
   • Delete node_modules folder
   • npm install
   • npm run build

Which is the best option?

Answer 1

npm install

This command installs a package, and any packages that it depends on. If the package has a package-lock or shrinkwrap file, the installation of dependencies will be driven by that, with an npm-shrinkwrap.json taking precedence if both files exist. See package-lock.json and npm-shrinkwrap .

If you did not install or update the package before releasing the project, you do not need to execute npm install , otherwise, you need to execute it to ensure that dependent packages on the production environment is consistent with your local dependent package version.

If you are using an automatic build deployment tool like jenkins, for convenience you can execute the install command before each build. It's okay.

Answer 2

Imagine more environments, not just a production:

• development
• testing1
• staging
• uat
• production

Can we upload the npm run build result (compressed js) or node_modules to our git repository? ANSWER IS NOT!! . So if you need to have a version of your app running in any of these environments, you must to execute npm run build . And this command needs the classic npm run install . I think this last sentence, answer your question.

(ADVICE) Docker to the rescue

assumption 1 your client-side app (vue) is not complex(no login, no session, no logout, etc ), you could publish it using a basic nginx, apache, basic-nodejs .

assumption 2 you are able to have one more server for docker private repository . Also if you are in google, amazon o azure, this service is ready to use, of course a payment is required

In one line, with docker you must execute just one time npm install and npm run build . Complete flow is:

• developer push some changes to the git repository
• manually or automatically a docker build in launched.
• inside Dockerfile , npm install and npm run build is executed. Also a minimal server with nodejs (example) is configured pointing to your builded assets
• your new docker image is uploaded to your docker private repository
• that's all

If your quality assurance team needs to perform some tests to your new app, just a docker image download is required. If everything is ok, you pass to the next stage (staging or uat) or production. Steps will be the same: just download the docker image.

Optimizations

• Use docker stages to split build and start steps
• If your app does not have complex flows(no login, no session, no logout, etc ), replace node basic server with a simple nginx

I need login and logout

In this case, nginx or apache does not helps you because they are a simple static servers.

You could use a minimal nodejs code like this:

https://github.com/jrichardsz/nodejs-static-pages/blob/master/server.js

Adding /login , /logout, etc

Or use my server:

https://github.com/utec/geofrontend-server

which has a /login, /logout and other cool features for example: How are you planning to pass your backend api urls to your vue app in any of your environments?.